Adverse Childhood Experiences Associated with Greater Internalization of Weight Stigma in Women with Excess Weight

Associations between adverse childhood experiences and history of weight cycling

Background

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) predict obesity onset; however, the relationship between ACEs and history of weight cycling has not been adequately explored. This gap is problematic given the difficulty in weight loss maintenance and the impact of ACEs on obesity development, chronicity, and associated weight stigma. The objective of this study was to examine associations between self-reported history of ACEs and weight cycling in a sample of weight loss treatment-seeking adults with overweight/obesity.

Methods

The number of participants in the analyzed sample was 78, mostly white educated adult women (80% female, 81% Caucasian, 75% ≥ bachelor's degree) with excess adiposity enrolled in the Cognitive and Self-regulatory Mechanisms of Obesity Study. ACEs were measured at baseline using the ACEs Scale. History of weight cycling was measured using the Weight and Lifestyle Inventory that documented weight loss(es) of 10 or more pounds.

Results

Higher ACE scores were associated with a greater likelihood of reporting a history of weight cycling. Participants with four or more ACEs had 8 times higher odds (OR = 8.301, 95% CI = 2.271-54.209, p = 0.027) of reporting weight cycling compared with participants with no ACEs. The association of weight cycling for those who endorsed one to three ACEs was not significant (OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 0.771-6.857, p = 0.135) in this sample.

Conclusions

The role of ACEs in health may be related to associations with weight cycling. Results indicated that those who reported four or more ACEs had significantly higher odds of reporting weight cycling compared with those with no ACEs. Further research is needed to further explore how ACEs predict the likelihood of weight cycling, which may be prognostic for sustained weight loss treatment response and weight stigma impacts.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and BMI: Lifecourse Associations in a Black-White U.S. Women Cohort

INTRODUCTION

Although adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been positively associated with adiposity, few studies have examined long-term race-specific ACE-BMI relationships.

METHODS

A Black and White all-women cohort (N=611; 48.6% Black) was followed between 1987 and 1997 from childhood (ages 9-10 years) through adolescence (ages 19-20 years) to midlife (ages 36-43 years, between 2015 and 2019). In these 2020-2022 analyses, the interaction between race and individual ACE exposures (physical abuse, sexual abuse, household substance abuse, multiple ACEs) on continuous BMI at ages 19-20 years and midlife was evaluated individually through multivariable linear regression models. Stratification by race followed as warranted at α=0.15.

RESULTS

Race only modified ACE-BMI associations for sexual abuse. Among Black women, sexual abuse was significantly associated with BMI (Badjusted=3.24, 95% CI=0.92, 5.57) at ages 19-20 years and marginally associated at midlife (Badjusted=2.37, 95% CI= -0.62, 5.35); among White women, corresponding associations were null. Overall, having ≥2 ACEs was significantly associated with adolescent BMI (Badjusted=1.47, 95% CI=0.13, 2.80) and was marginally associated at midlife (Badjusted=1.45, 95% CI= -0.31, 3.22). This was similarly observed for physical abuse (adolescent BMI: Badjusted=1.23, 95% CI= -0.08, 2.54; midlife BMI: Badjusted=1.03, 95% CI= -0.71, 2.78), but not for substance abuse.

CONCLUSIONS

Direct exposure to certain severe ACEs is associated with increased BMI among Black and White women. It is important to consider race, ACE type, and life stage to gain a more sophisticated understanding of ACE-BMI relationships. This knowledge can help strengthen intervention, prevention, and policy efforts aiming to mitigate the impacts of social adversities and trauma on persistent cardiometabolic health disparities over the lifecourse.

Prevalence of diagnosed psychiatric disorders among adults who have experienced and internalized weight stigma

Objective

Experiences and internalization of weight stigma are associated with greater self-reported psychological distress and symptoms of psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. However, little is known about the extent to which individuals who have experienced and internalized weight stigma are diagnosed with or provided treatment for psychiatric conditions. The current study aimed to characterize the prevalence of diagnosed psychiatric disorders among adults with obesity who had experienced and internalized weight stigma.

Methods

Weight-loss treatment-seeking adults with a history of experiencing weight stigma and high levels of internalized weight stigma were recruited for two clinical trials.

Results

In Study 1 (n = 84, 83.3% women, 67.9% Black), 25% of participants reported a lifetime history of a mood disorder. Few participants (<10%) reported current psychiatric diagnoses or use of psychiatric medications. In Study 2 (n = 129, 88.4% women, 65.1% white), one-third of participants reported a mood disorder history, and 21.7% reported an anxiety disorder history, with approximately 16%-18% reporting current diagnoses. In both studies, few participants reported a history of a diagnosed eating disorder despite high rates of current full- or subthreshold symptoms. Based on Beck Depression Inventory-II scores, approximately 54%-64% of participants reported mild or greater symptoms of depression.

Conclusions

Overall, lifetime history of diagnosed psychiatric disorders and current symptoms of depression and eating disorders were relatively high across two samples. More research is needed to determine the impact of weight stigma on the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders and other psychiatric concerns.

Self-compassion buffers the internalized alcohol stigma and depression link in women sexual assault survivors who drink to cope

BACKGROUND

Depression is strongly implicated in drinking to cope and the development of alcohol use disorders (AUD) in women, particularly among women with a history of sexual assault victimization (SAV). Alcohol use in women is heavily stigmatized, and substance use stigma is associated with depression. This study examined the link between internalized alcohol stigma (AS) and depression and tested whether self-compassion buffered (i.e., moderated) this association in a sample of women with a history of SAV and unhealthy drinking to cope.

METHOD

Women sexual assault survivors (N = 288; 82 % White, 91.2 % Non-Hispanic, 20.2 % sexual minority) reporting unhealthy drinking (Alcohol Use Disorders Inventory Test-C ≥ 4) and drinking to cope (Drinking Coping Motives Questionnaire-Revised ≥ 2) completed online self-report surveys. Hierarchical regression analyses tested associations between internalized-AS and self-compassion with depression after controlling for covariates (age, income, education, AUD symptoms, and posttraumatic stress disorder) and then, whether self-compassion moderated the Internalized-AS and depression link.

RESULTS

Internalized-AS accounted for 1.4 % of variance in depression (p < .01); self-compassion accounted for added variance when subsequently modeled (8.2 %, p < .001). Moderation analyses revealed self-compassion to buffer the internalized-AS and depression link. Among participants reporting high levels of self-compassion, there was no association between internalized-AS and depression (p = .894).

DISCUSSION

While findings are modest, they align with the previously observed link between internalized-AS and depression and extend these findings to women with a history of SAV endorsing elevated coping motives and unhealthy drinking. Self-compassion may protect against this link, pending further research sampling greater diversity of participants and longitudinal and controlled designs.

Weight stigma and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in individuals seeking bariatric surgery

BACKGROUND

After bariatric surgery, some patients experience adverse psychiatric outcomes, including substance use, suicidality, and self-harm. These factors are commonly associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related symptoms (PTSD-S) that develop following adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and traumatic events. However, emerging evidence suggests that chronic discrimination also may contribute to PTSD-S. Weight-based discrimination is salient for people with obesity but has received little attention in relation to PTSD-S.

OBJECTIVE

Our study examined factors that may contribute to the link between experienced weight stigma (WS), which is common in individuals seeking bariatric surgery, and PTSD-S.

SETTING

Teaching hospital and surgical weight loss center in the United States.

METHODS

A total of 217 participants completed self-report surveys of experienced and internalized WS, ACEs, and PTSD-S. Demographics and trauma history were obtained from patient medical records. A stepwise multiple regression examined associations between experienced WS and internalized WS with PTSD-S, co-varying demographics, ACEs, and trauma, followed by examination of whether findings held co-varying anxiety/depressive symptoms in a participant subset (n = 189).

RESULTS

After accounting for covariates in step 1 and ACEs and trauma in step 2 (ΔR² = .14), experienced WS and internalized WS accounted for substantial PTSD-S variance in steps 2 and 3 (ΔR² = .12 and .13, respectively; overall model R² =.44; P < .001). Findings held after co-varying anxiety/depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Over and above ACEs and trauma, experienced WS and internalized WS may contribute to PTSD-S. Longitudinal research is needed to better elucidate the pathways underlying these associations.